Officials seek source of Rockville stream's contamination

Contact with the streams is prohibited, according to an announcement on the Montgomery County Department of Parks Web site.

The contamination occurred upstream and outside of the park, which is located at 4510 Hornbeam Drive, killing "a significant number" of fish and other aquatic life, according to the announcement. The state Department of the Environment and county aquatic biologists are looking into the type and cause of the contamination and working to return the area to normal.

State and county officials do not know when the results might be available.

Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman for the county, said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) received a call Aug. 6 about a "possible fish kill" and provided aid to park officials, who were already on site. She said the state Department of the Environment has taken samples of the water.

Anderson said 575 fish and 326 salamanders and invertebrates are believed to have been killed by the unidentified contamination.

A sign has been posted at the site telling residents to stay away from the water.

Greg Coleman, who lives across from the park, said he saw a sign on the bridge when he was walking his neighbor's dog Saturday.

"I'm not going to get in the water," he said. "I wouldn't get in the water if the sign wasn't there."

Coleman noted the water looks no different.

He said he "really didn't make too much" of the sign and thinks it is just a precaution so residents will keep their pets away from the water.

Coleman said he has lived in his house since 1974 and was not aware of any previous incidents.

For a map of the contaminated area, visit http://mcparkandplanning.org/parks/Images/flowervalley_np3.jpg.